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Definition of Angina
The pain of angina is related to the demands made on the heart, most commonly for the performance of physical exercise, but also to cope with emotional reactions. The pain usually comes on after a fixed amount of exertion, such as walking a particular distance.
Angina pain may be of very variable severity, even in the same person, and may be affected by factors such as cold weather, a change of temperature as when going outside from a warm house, the strength of the wind, state of mind, or the length of time since a meal.
The pain may be so mild as to be hardly a pain but more a feeling of uneasiness or pressure in the chest; or it may be so severe that it stops you moving. It often causes breathlessness and belching, and when the exertion ceases, the angina settles.
It is quite common for angina to remain at a fairly constant level of severity for years. In such cases the affected person will know exactly how far he or she can walk before the pain starts. But with other sufferers, all the features of angina may vary. In some cases the angina may be absent for weeks, months or even years. In others it may increase in frequency and severity until there is severe disability or death.
